Tag: Journalism | SpinSafe

The Hacker – Columbia Journalism Review

April 17, 2023/in Computer Security

Getting hacked is very much like catching a nasty flu. It begins with an infection of malware—malicious software that spreads across a network—and ends with a feeling of deep enfeeblement. In late 2012, not long after the New York Times reported on a corruption scandal involving China’s former prime minister, the newsroom got a bad case. AT&T, which maintains the Times’ servers, notified the company that suspicious activity had been detected on its network. An internal investigation revealed an attack on a dramatic scale: Chinese hackers had broken into email accounts, stolen the passwords of every employee, installed forty-five pieces of customized malware, and begun spying on fifty-three employees, seeking information about anything related to the Chinese prime minister’s family. Day after day, using the methods of the Chinese military, the hackers started at 8am and worked sometimes until midnight, deploying remote-access tools, or RATs, that enabled them to steal a tremendous cache of sensitive information and even to activate a computer’s microphone and Web camera, transforming it into a secret recording device. It was a complicated and devastating infection—a near masterpiece.

It took four months of tracking for the Times to finally expel the hackers from its network. The Chinese government denied any involvement. But the more the newsroom looked into what happened, the more it became clear that the attack was part of a “far-reaching spying campaign,” according to a Times report, that pried into multiple outlets; the Wall Street Journal soon confirmed that Chinese hackers had broken into its system, and there were attempts made on the Washington Post and Bloomberg. The event ushered in a stunning realization for journalists: that the most powerful asset they had—confidentiality for their sources via secure channels of communication—could no longer be guaranteed. Not only were news organizations vulnerable to cyberattacks, they were targets.

Runa Sandvik was living in London when she first heard about the hack—and it stunned her. She was twenty-five at the time, a cybersecurity expert working for a grassroots…

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OODA Loop – Joseph Menn: Observations From Two Decades Of Tech Journalism

October 1, 2022/in Computer Security

Covering technology issues, and specifically cybersecurity as a journalist is a tough endeavor. Some of these technologies are complex as are the security vulnerabilities often inherent in their deployment and making these topics broadly accessible can be a challenge. Many of the underlying issues touch upon national security and civil liberties creating an interesting nexus that must be highlighted in the proper context. Lastly, it can be a challenge to create trusted relationships with the hacker community, but they provide essential perspectives and leads.

Joseph Menn has established himself as one of the top journalists covering these issues for over two decades at organizations like the Financial Times, Los Angeles Times, Bloomberg, Reuters, and now at the Washington Post. He’s spoken at conferences like Black Hat, Def Con, and RSA. He’s written three books covering topics like Napster, cybercrime, and most recently the infamous hacker group cDC in his book “Cult of the Dead Cow: How the Original Hacking Supergroup Might Just Save the World”.

In the OODAcast, Joseph provides insights from his career as a journalist covering technology and cybersecurity. We explore how he first got involved with Def Con Black Hat and the value of attending the events. Joseph discusses how he first got introduced to the cDC and why he decided to write a book about the group and developed an overall positive outlook in the critical role hackers will play in saving the world.

Official Bio:

Joseph Menn joined The Washington Post in 2022 where he specializes in computer security, hacking, privacy and surveillance. He has perhaps the longest running track record among professional journalists covering cyber security and cyber conflict issues, having over two decades of experience on the topic. Prior to the Washington Post he covered cybersecurity and technology for Reuters, the Financial Times and the Los Angeles Times

His books include “Cult of the Dead Cow: How the Original Hacking Supergroup Might Just Save the World” (2019) and “Fatal System Error: The Hunt for the New Crime Lords who are Bringing Down the Internet” (2010).

Podcast Version:

External Links:

Cult of the Dead Cow book

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Malawi Police accused of hacking Platform for Investigative Journalism website – Malawi 24

April 17, 2022/in Computer Security

Media body MISA Malawi says it cannot rule out the involvement of State agents in the hacking of Platform for Investigative Journalism (PIJ) website, which happened days after the Malawi Police Service (MPS) detained PIJ Managing Director Gregory Gondwe and held on to his computer and phone for a night.

Malawi Police Service has since hit back at MISA Malawi over the allegations.

The hacking of the website investigativeplatform-mw.org was noted on Thursday, April 14, 2022 and the site remained inaccessible for many hours on Friday. However, the site is now back online but PIJ said it was still working on fully recovering it

The incident happened nine days after officers from the Malawi Police Gondwe and confiscated his equipment, which raised serious privacy concerns.

In a statement on Friday, MISA Malawi Chairperson Teresa Temweka Ndanga said the hacking incident vindicates such fears.

“We believe the hacking incident is not a mere coincidence. MISA Malawi believes the hacking is intentional and we cannot rule out the involvement of State agents considering the circumstances.

“We are concerned that the police officers who must be in the forefront to combat Cybersecurity risks of Malawians and others in the country were directly involved in actions that qualify them as prime suspects in this Cyber-attack,” said Ndanga.

She added that the hacking is a direct attack on media freedom, right to access information and a criminal offence under the Electronic Transactions and Cyber Security Act of 2016.

She also noted that the Electronic Transactions and Cyber Security Act of 2016 prohibits hacking, cracking and introduction of viruses and any person who commits such offences is liable to a fine and to imprisonment for seven years.

Ndanga then demanded the State to investigate and prosecute anybody who violated section 21 of the Constitution of Malawi by violating Gondwe’s privacy, saying the same people are now prime suspects in this hacking incident.

“We wish to remind government that these continued attacks on journalists are tarnishing the country’s image on press freedom, a fundamental component in a democratic…

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Iraq Joins China In Suppressing Journalism About COVID-19

April 17, 2020/in Internet Security

We’ve been screaming from the rooftops about the need for more transparency regarding COVID-19, and tragically so many governments are going in the opposite direction. The latest is Iraq, where the nation’s media regulator revoked Reuters’ “license” for three months while also fining the organization ~$ 21,000 for daring to claim that the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases was actually higher than the government was reporting. According to the Communications and Media Commission, this violated rules and would “have serious repercussions on societal health and safety.”

Remember that we’ve been calling out various places — including inside the United States — that are saying that posting “fake news” about COVID-19 should be a criminal offense. This is what happens when you allow that kind of thinking. The arguments made by those who think they’re stamping out “disinformation” are identical to those made by Iraq’s media regulatory agency to silence accurate reporting.

At the very least, it appears that Iraq’s President recognizes this is ridiculous and dangerous:

Asked about the Reuters suspension in an interview with Christiane Amanpour on CNN, Iraqi President Barham Salih said it was a “regrettable decision” taken by a commission which is independent of the government.

“From my vantage point you would not get me in a situation where I would defend that. I’m working with our legal team in order to revoke that and manage the situation,” Salih said.

Still, considering how many people are pushing for laws against or punishment for “fake news,” please, please remember that it will absolutely be abused to stifle or chill legitimate, if confrontational, news reporting over government claims. And in a time when we need more transparency than ever, such crackdowns on reporting could mean many lives are literally put at risk.

Techdirt.

Tag Archive for: Journalism